Guzmania plant named Ultra

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of Guzmania named Ultra, characterized by its purple, star shaped inflorescence, superior floral bract production, strong, compact growth habit, and its relatively small size.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Guzmanialingulata, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Ultra. Guzmaniacomprise a genus within the family bromeliaceae. The new cultivar is ahybrid resulting from a cross of unnamed parent plants identified below.

Guzmania comprise a genus of over 100 species of evergreen perennialssuitable for cultivation in the home or under glass. Guzmania arepredominantly epiphytic with a few terrestrial species and are native tothe tropics. For the most part the species vary in diameter from 7 or 8inches to 3 or 4 feet and have rosettes of glossy, smooth edged leaves.

Floral bracts of Guzmania frequently have brilliant colors and may lastfor many months. The range of flower colors for Guzmania variesconsiderably but is generally in the orange, red and red-purple ranges.White or yellow, tubular, three petalled flowers may also appear on astem or within the leaf rosette but are usually short lived.

Guzmania may be advantageously grown as pot plants for greenhouse orhome use. Desirably the plants are shaded from direct sunlight andduring the spring to autumn period, the central vase-like part of theleaf rosette is normally filled with water.

Guzmania is native to tropical America. Leaves of the Guzmania areusually formed as basal rosettes which are stiff and entire and inseveral vertical ranks. Guzmania have terminal spikes or panicles whichare often bracted with petals united in a tube about as long as thecalyx.

Asexual propagation of Guzmania if frequently done through the use oftissue culture practices. Propagation can also be from off-shootsproduced by the plant which may then be rooted. The resulting plantletsare detached from the mother plant and may be potted up in a suitablegrowing mixture.

The new cultivar Ultra is a product of a planned breeding program andwas originated by the inventors from a cross made during such a programin Assendelft, The Netherlands, in 1985. The male, or pollen parent, wasan unnamed selection from a mutation of Guzmania lingulata lingulata,identified by Code Number 84336128. The female, or seed parent, was anunnamed cultivar of Guzmania lingulata minor, identified by the CodeNumber 8433655. Both parents have a degree of homozygosity such that theprogeny of the cross were and continue to be surprisingly uniform. Theselection comprising the new variety was chosen after commencement offlowering of the progeny in 1987, and subsequent asexual propagation byoffshoots has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for the new cultivar Ultra are firmly fixed and areretained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Ultra is particularly characterized by the following:

1. Strong, compact growth habit.

2. Dark purple inflorescence.

3. Superior floral bract production.

4. Star shaped inflorescence.

5. Relatively small in overall size and diameter when compared to othercultivars of this general type.

The closest comparison cultivar is Empire. Most of the characteristicsdescribed below for Ultra, except for the color of the inflorescence,are generally similar to those same characteristics of Empire. Thefloral bract color of the respective cultivars is very dissimilar.Whereas the bract color of Empire is a bright red, the bract color ofUltra is a deep purple, referred to in the color chart as agreyed-purple. Such color is very distinctive.

Ultra has not been tested under all available environmental conditions.The phenotype may slightly vary with variations in environmentalconditions such as temperature, light intensity, day length andhumidity, as well understood by those skilled in the art, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The accompanying color photographic drawings show typicalcharacteristics of Ultra.

Sheet 1 comprises a top perspective view of a full plant with floralbracts, and wherein the bract color is accurately depicted.

The photograph at the top of sheet 2 is a side view showing foliage andinflorescence of a specimen plant, and the photograph at the bottom ofsheet 2 is a more enlarged showing of the floral bracts andinflorescence.

The floral bract color shown in the photographs on Sheet 2 is notcorrect, with the true bract color being shown in the photographscomprising sheet 1, and above noted.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and in combinationdistinguish Ultra as a new and distinct cultivar. These observations,measurements and descriptions have been performed under greenhouseconditions in Assendelft, The Netherlands.

I. Plant:

Form.--Funnel form rosette.

Height.--Short; approximately 20 cm high when flowering.

Growth habit.--Stemless.

Diameter.--Approximately 45 cm at time of flowering.

II. Foliage:

Size of leaf.--Approximately 27 to 30 cm long; leaves extend away fromthe base to form a full plant.

Shape of leaf.--Linear lanceolate.

Surface texture.--Smooth.

Variegation.--None.

Color.--Upperside; 146A; Underside; 146B; with greater amounts offertilizer, the color can become slightly darker, in the range of 137A(upperside) and 137B (underside). During flowering, the center leavescan be infused in the middle with purple, approximately 186A.

III. Bracts:

Length.--Scape bracts: Approximately 8 to 14 cm. Primary bracts:Approximately 6 to 10 cm. Floral bracts: Approximately 5.5 cm.

Width.--Scape and primary bracts are approximately 2.5 cm, floral bractsapproximately 1.4 cm.

General shape.--Ovate lanceolate.

Texture.--Smooth.

Margin.--Entire.

Color.--Upperside: When bud just opening 187A, becoming 187B duringflowering; color of middle part of bracts toward center is 187C.Underside: 187D.

IV. Flowers:

Borne.--Erect on stalks, length of inflorescence being approximately 6cm.

Shape of inflorescence.--Head.

Individual petals.--Length: Approximately 5 cm. Width: Approximately 0.5cm. Quantity: Approximately 30 flowers, depending on the size of plant.Color of petals: R.H.S. 155D at top 0.3 cm; next approximately 1 cm is8A, with color below that area becoming more translucent.

Time of blooming.--In a fully grown plant, flowers can bloom the wholeyear starting approximately 12 weeks after acetylene treatment.

Duration of blooms.--Each flower blooms 1 day and the total duration ofblooming is about 6 weeks.

V. Reproductive organs:

Ovaries.--Superior.

Stamens.--6 in number.

VI. Seed characteristics:

Quantity.--Approximately 5000 seeds divided over approximately 20capsules.

Texture.--The seeds are plumrose.

Other.--Not every plant has seed since not every plant makes seed. Theseeds cannot be used for reproduction since characteristics cannot bepassed through sexual propagation.

I claim:
 1. A plant of a new and distinct cultivar of Guzmania plant named Ultra, as illustrated and described. 